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Following massive investments by the Mozambican government in partnership with the Exim Bank of China in dredging, port facilities, road rehabilitation and widening since April 2015, Beira Port has arguably become the most preferred sea port for Zimbabwean shippers.

Some advantages of Using Beira Port

• Distance between Beira and Harare is approximately 562 Km. Thus, less transit time compared to Durban which is about 1679 KM.
• It follows therefore that Beira road freight is much lower compared to alternative sea ports.
• There is over border container charge above USD5000 for containerised shipments coming through Durban. In the likely event that container turn-in is Durban, additional transport costs would apply. This same over border container charge does not apply for cargo coming through Beira port. To circumvent the prohibitive deposit, shippers unpack/de-stuff containers and move their valued cargo as break-bulk.
• Because cargo move in containers from Beira, there is less handling, less chances of goods damaged, theft and even pilferage

Published by William Chibanda

ADVICE TO IMPORTERS AND EXPORTERS

Customs and forwarding industry is a specialised field whose mistakes are costly to either of the parties involved in the supply chain. Some of them include but not limited to the following:

1.Requesting Quotations Without Accurate Weights / Dimensions

Quote requests with inaccurate or incomplete information can result in misquotes and supplementary invoices which might not have been budgeted for. Thus seemingly bad pricing quotes for customers. This can have a detrimental effect on the costs of shipping products and result in supply chain inefficiencies. The resultant effect is negative on all parties involved in the shipping process, including the shipper, the forwarder, and the end customer. As the saying “experience is the best tutor,” Multilink Cargo understands this challenge quite well. Experience has taught us to invest time to understand clients` shipments and their total requirements in order to achieve a flawless service delivery.

2. Late Provision of Forwarding and Clearing Documents

It is not only important but necessary that the proper documents are ready and in-hand when the freight is ready to be moved. Otherwise can lead to loss of valuable time. In the freight industry, time is indeed money. Time wasted will have a detrimental effect on deadline fulfillment which can subsequently lead to additional yet avoidable costs such as storage charges, demurrages and fines by our customs authorities. At Multilink Cargo we understand the rules of the game.

3. Forwarder – Importer/Exporter Relationship

Forwarding is a specialized field. Without doubt, knowledge, competence, experience and networking is everything. Importing/exporting product without a real relationship with your forwarder can result in a slower overall process, which increases supply chain inefficiencies. In the case of Multi-Link Cargo, we understand that every client exhibits unique needs and dreams. That is the reason why we invest time to understand our clients better that competition. We take shipment ownership the moment we are given the mandate to forward and perform customs formalities. Clients are our partners in business.

4. Notice on Shipping Needs and Patterns in Advance

Importers and Exporters expecting to ship regularly, need to provide the forwarder with as much information as possible on your specific needs or patterns. Examples of such information includes monthly shipping schedules and product descriptions can make a forwarders job relatively easier. In return, customers can expect faster fulfillment times and greater overall supply chain efficiency. An association with Multilink Cargo would benefit exporters and importers in more ways than one. One such benefit being competitive rates and terms for your valued shipments. For example, most Importers are unaware that one of our shipping terms on Sea freight services is that clients will have an option of paying for sea freight within 21 days. This has the added benefit of allowing clients to meet other financial obligations knowing fully well that they would pay for sea freight after 21 days! Now, isn`t that a good deal?

For further information, kindly get in touch with us. We are good in finding the best sea, air and road freight terms and deals available and would love to assist!

Published by William Chibanda (Marketing And Forwarding Department)

Find out how you can choose the best logistics plan for your business. As Multilink we are here to guide you.

Welcome to Multilink Cargo, your logistics partner in Zimbabwe.We offer a variety of logistics services, with each one designed to cater for your specific logistics needs.